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Van den Hul released a new “interesting” phonostage: the Grail.

http://www.vandenhul.com/p_GA41.aspx

The apprentice of filtering caps certainly makes is very appearing but at this point it is not know the validity of the Van den Hul’s claims.  The unit has external PS. If to look at the picture:

http://cybwiz.blogspot.com/2010/07/van-den-hul-grail-pictures.html

...then the section on the right with large heat think is most likely an output stage.  Whatever is on the left if the dain and EQ stage – there are plenty of capacitors in there and frankly speaking the size and number of elements made me wonder. If Mr. Hul used the Lechnitskty’s method of writing curves by milking inductance from transformer gap

http://www.romythecat.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=644

… then I see too many parts on the gain board. 

There is away to write a curve by creating a virtual capacitance with SS devices and this is what  Van den Hul might did.   I had one DAC that use second order of output filter made completely without capacitor but with this SS-made virtual; capacitance. The DAC sounded like crap. I do not insist that it was so bad because the alternative filtering. The same way I think Mr. Van den Hul shall not make any presumption about sound of his new phonostages juts because it reportedly “equalization with coils only, no sound impairing capacitors in filters”.

Van den Hul is not particularly know for good quality electronics or transformer but who knows, might be this phonostage is worth something. Anyhow, here is another phonostage member with big claims and high ambition. With the limited information available it is very hard to foresee what it might be. I am sure as time goes by more data will become available.

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